Page 121 of The Pucking Coach's Daughter

I wipe them from her cheeks carefully, my thumbs collecting the liquid under her eyes.

“That was intense.” Her voice is hoarse. “I should…”

I shake my head and slip my arm under her neck. I shift closer, my other arm wrapping around her back. She fits perfectly against me, her head nested under my chin.

“You should stay right here.”

Until my sanity comes back to me, I don’t plan on moving.

thirty-four

sydney

I’m half-asleep in Oliver’s arms when Penn returns. He lifts me out of bed, cradling me in his arms, and carries me to the bathroom. The water is already running in the tub, and he settles me into the warmth.

My head lolls against his arm, which he keeps around my shoulders for a moment. He moves a little, taking his arm away and gathering my hair. He ties it up on top of my head, then returns to my side at the edge of the tub.

“What time is it?” I lick my lips.

He supplies a glass of cold water, holding it to my mouth and tipping it for me.

I swallow eagerly. It soothes my throat and wakes me up a bit, but my eyes still feel heavy.

“It’s a little after four,” Penn replies.

“PM?”

He chuckles. “Morning.”

I groan.

“I know.” He shuts off the tap when the water reaches mid-upper arm. He dips a cloth into the water, then squirts soap on it. With slow, firm strokes, he cleans my skin. Starting at the back of my neck and working his way down, he operates in near silence. I hold the edges, my head leaned back on the lip as soon as he finishes with my back.

When it moves between my legs, I moan.

“How many times did you come?”

I sigh. “Four? Fourth felt more like a hallucination.”

“Good.” He continues cleaning. Stroking.

Teasing.

I crack one eye open. “I know what you’re doing.”

He smirks. “Yeah?”

“I hurt.”

“You like pain.”

That’s true.

His gaze goes to my wrists, which are a little red. Nothing crazy, but they might bruise in a few days.

“We’re going away next weekend,” he says in a low voice. “We have two games out of state.”

I nod carefully. “I looked at the schedule. Dylan’s first volleyball match is that weekend.”